TN to open special court for drug-addicted

3:44 AM,
Jul. 27, 2013

Douglas Varney, commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues

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Tennessee will open a residential treatment center Thursday for people with mental problems and drug addictions sentenced to prison.

The 100-bed center is in Morgan County about 45 miles west of Knoxville. The Recovery Court program is a joint venture of the Tennessee Department of Correction and the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The primary goal is to reduce the rate of recidivism - people returning to crime after being released from prison.

"This program should not be considered being soft on crime," said Derek Schofield, commissioner of the ...